A Golden Lamb Christmas

On Sunday our family went to The Golden Lamb

in Lebanon, Ohio for brunch. It is such a

 beautiful place at any time of year but

simply glows at Christmas time!

The Golden Lamb is recognized as the oldest continuously operating business

 in the State of Ohio. On December 23, 1803, 

Jonas Seaman spent $4 for a license to operate a

 "house of Public Entertainment". The Golden Lamb got

 its name due to the fact that many early pioneers could not read, 

so giving a business a name that could be easily drawn and

 recognized, such as the Black Horse or Golden Lamb, was a necessity.

What fun to meet the most charming Santa!

I had the Vanilla Bean Pancakes with bacon...so good! 

Light and fluffy and tasty!

One of the upstairs private dining rooms, the Henry Clay Room.

Another of the private dining rooms, the Clement Vallandigham Room

This is The Dickens Room!

The great English novelist Charles Dickens visited The Golden Lamb

 during his first trip to America in 1842. Although not quite 30 years-old

 when he arrived in the U.S. that January, he had already 

written Oliver Twist, The Pickwick Papers, Nicholas Nickleby

 and number of his other great works. 

Around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, 1842,

 after spending 5 hours traveling the 30 miles from Cincinnati

 on a stagecoach, he dined and stayed here at the inn.

Grace was especially interested in this as she

 is presently reading "A Christmas Carol"!

Many famous people have stayed at the inn over the years...

From Ulysses S. Grant, Warren Harding, John Quincy

Adams, Samuel Clemens and Harriet Beecher Stowe...

...to Barbara Bush, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.

Lebanon is a wonderful small town filled with antique and gift shops.

It is also the home to many beautiful old homes. 

I love to come here, and dine at the Golden Lamb,

several times a year. It is always a treat!

Hoping your holiday plans are going well and that you

are taking time to enjoy all that sweet things the Christmas season brings!

Warmly,

Susie Q